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Porsche revives 718 moniker for next-gen Boxster/Cayman

Porsche has confirmed that the next generation of Porsche Cayman and Boxster – due to be launched in 2016 – will bee powered by a turbocharged four cylinder engines in a flat four arrangement.

With the return of this iconic engine layout (used in the very earliest Porsches), Zuffenhausen has decided to break away from the current 986/987/981 internal nomenclature, reviving the famous 718 moniker for the next generation of its mid-engined sports cars.

Following in the footsteps of the four-cylinder Porsche 718 RSK – a class winner at the 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans – the 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster will show more similarities than ever before, according to Porsche.

The move to a four-cylinder engine (and race-bred denomination) also brings the car closer, from a marketing perspective, to the 919 Hybrid, Porsche’s four-cylinder – albeit in a ‘V’ formation – 2015 Le Mans winner.

Interestingly, to bring the 718 range in line with Porsche’s flagship 911 line-up, the next generation Boxster will, for the first time in its history, cost more than Coupe-bodied Cayman.

No more details have been released about the Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster range. However, the new mid-engined cars will be launched throughout 2016 with, if the turbocharged 991.2 Carrera is anything to go by, a modest boost in power over the current flat six engined 981 models.

The switch to downsized, turbocharged flat four engines (a long standing rumour in the industry) paves the way for a series of run-out models for the 981 generation of Porsche Cayman/Boxster.

Weissach’s decision to use the ‘Clubsport’ name for the new race-ready Cayman GT4 left the door open for a more extreme road going version bearing the fabled ‘RS’ badge.

GT boss, Andreas Preuninger has hinted at such a car extensively in recent months however, at this moment nothing has been spotted testing on road or track, nor has anything been confirmed by Porsche.

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